As Always
by TinyCitrusLegs
Summary: Sometimes, being late can be the worst thing in the world. Nepeta knows this very well, and so does Equius.


**(Apologies in advance for mistakes on typing quirks... it does not want to show.)**

As Always

Your name is Nepeta Leijon, and time has never really been your specialty. Rather it be for an important dinner, a curfew, or even meeting someone important, you can never make it on time. It's really too bad that the one who feels the full force of your lateness was your moirail. This sad fact is only worse because of his supreme dedication. However, that kind of suited you both well, considering his somewhat strange need to watch over you.

The first time the two of you had any form of interaction with each other was neither special nor friendly, and you can remember it perfectly.

It was a long day. You got lost, you were hungry and tired, and you were extremely late for roleplaying online with your internet buddies. By the time you had arrived home it was near midnight. Even so with the timing, you hopped onto your computer and onto the RP site.

The site you used for roleplaying was really the coolest thing. You could speak back and forth with trolls all over Alternia and under any username you could desire. Your username was arsenicCatnip.

Going into the site, you could see a bunch of familiar users in the middle of an adventurous roleplay. In the chatlog off to the side, you typed in: :33 soooooo sorry fur being late everybody! i got caught up.

You received a few responses of general 'it is okays' and what not, but where was one indifferent result.

cT: D-As always..

As expected, due to your tired and hungered state, you just had to give this smart mouth a piece of your mind. So, you got into a private chat with him and called him out. The guy was weird; he hadn't once roleplayed with you and he suddenly just remarks on you? Freaky.

The two of you had a rather long and truthfully idiotic bickering fight. In fact, you had many more of these fights in the following three weeks. Near the end of the third week though, cT had actually stopped insulting you. It was weird, but you liked it.

He was nice.

...

After a few months, the two of you were great friends. He always gave you the best advice and eased you with your troubles whenever you needed him. He did pester you about your lateness somewhat frequently, but you learned to deal with it, as did he.

By the sixth month, you decided to meet each other in person.

You decided to meet at a close by recreational area at around noon.

So, of course, you had arrived at nearly two o' clock.

He had described his appearance once, and you slightly remember the blurry image that had once took form in your brain. It took a long while of looking, but you had eventually caught sight of a taller being. This person was looking across a pond, perhaps admiring its crystallic beauty. He wore a black tank top and grey shorts over striped leggings.

Taking a few steps closer had confirmed your thoughts on who it was, and sprinting was the only action you could follow up with.

"Equius!" You had yelled happily just before the two of you had collided. The blue-blood gave a strangled grunt at your action, quickly grimacing at your close proximity.

"Nepeta, unhand me at once. Your actions are a bit too enthusiastic for my taste," he had stated gruffly.

You pouted slightly, yet replied, "Oh, sorry, Equius…" and slowly unwound your arms from around him. "I'm kind of late…"

Equius mustered a dull laugh. "Yeah, I know. As always," he murmured.

Your gaze turned downward when you had softly mumbled, "I'm sorry," feeling ashamed of your time management skills (or lack thereof).

The blue-blood's expression turned a bit softer as he gave a hushed sigh. "It's okay, I'm used to it." A slight smile crawled onto your face as you looked back up at him. "Let's go… I- I really need a towel…"

...

Being moirails with Equius was a really hard job at times. He was very controlling, barely roleplayed with you, and was generally hard-headed. But, you knew he was just trying to protect and look out for you, even if he was a boring and sweaty weirdo. It explains why he fought imp after imp just to make sure it's safe.

You were, of course, late, but you'll blame it on that nasty cave-in. Even so, you knew that Equius would be able to handle it since he's so STRONG.

It had shocked you when you actually saw him though.

Eight imps had been gathered around his unconscious body, gnawing and biting at him like he was a piece of meat. Your reaction was instantaneous, whipping out your sharp claws and slicing the imps in half. The grist was ignored as you kneeled by Equius' side.

"Equius! Please! Please wake up!"

You could see the full damage… shattered shades, chipped teeth, and a broken horn. That was the worst damage…

It took a few minutes for you to coax the big troll awake, and when you did, the poor troll had spat up a good amount of blood onto the ground, painting the grass blue. He had given a pained grunt before letting his head fall back with a sickening thud against the ground.

"Oh no, Equius, what happened?" You asked in a clearly frightened tone, holding him closely and not wanting anything worse to happen.

The blue-blood groaned, and lifted his head back up the slightest bit to address you respectfully. "Fighting the imps… I do believe something might have hit me in the head hard enough to induce unconsciousness…"

It was true, there was a clear crack in his skull, you could see the indent just beside his broken horn, the wound was oozing indigo. You placed your hand on the wound, pressing hard enough so that it would help stop the bleeding. Small olive green tears traced down your cheeks. "I am so sorry, Equius. If only I had come earlier… maybe this wouldn't have happened…"

You had closed your eyes for a moment, trying to hold back your tears, when you felt a hand clasp your own softly. Equius flashed a soft grin, revealing his terribly cracked teeth. "It's okay, Nepeta. It's just as always…"

As always.

...

That day in particular had been etched in the Leo's mind for the longest time. It always made her sad, and her dear moirail's broken horn was a grim reminder of that day. However, now is not the time for thinking about things that make you sad, Nepeta… get it together.

The mid-blood tries to quiet her noises, not knowing what to expect.

'Goodbye' he said… 'I will see you soon though' she said…

Blood coats the walls, she knows it, she sees it through the slits of one of the grates. Poor poor Tavros, all mangled and blood covered. Nepeta shakes her head, not bearing the thought that Gamzee might have done this.

He couldn't have…

'You are next'

For what?

She continues to crawl through and pops out at the last grate. When she tries to transportalize herself, it fails. Of course it was blocked. And she finds herself sneaking into another grate.

Nepeta crawls more and more, and soon becomes worried. What might have happened? Is Equius okay? What if he comes back for her and finds her missing?

There is one last grate she comes across. She wonders, for a moment, if this is a suddenly pivotal moment, but, she shakes her head and comes face to face with the grate, looking out through its small slits. Her chest clenches tightly. It is a familiar feeling, but this time she knows it is totally real.

Before she knows it, the grate is smashed open and she is pouncing on him, on the juggalo, subjugglator, GAMZEE. He had done this, he did! A thin wire coiled tightly around your moirail's throat, his knee punctured with an arrow, and his face blue with death.

She cries loudly, her sharp claws protruding and begging to cut that high-blood scum to ribbons! And they do, a clear gash across his face, but he barely even flinches. He lets her cut him across his face, lets his own violet blood drip down his cheeks.

Nepeta finally realizes now, there is nothing to be done.

The high-blood produces deuce clubs, gripping them tightly and grinning maliciously. Nepeta grasps her sore wrist, whimpering as he hovers over her, but it's all over.

He beats her, bashing her every bone and muscle, aching her body to the core. She spits out green blood as he murmurs 'peasant' evilly and bashes her even more. A sharp whack to her skull was what had her falling still. Her blood coats the floor an earthy green, and she grimaces at the smell.

This is it.

Gamzee snickers, leaving, to finish off more of the low-blood scum. He leaves her to die, bleeding to death, next to her dear moirail.

Nepeta heaves quietly, her ribs cracked and aching. She can nearly feel the blood gushing out of her multiple wounds. Even so, it isn't the physical pain that torments her the most. Looking beside her, she can feel tears dripping from her eyes as she observes her dear moirail, dead, beside her.

The action is so slow and so torturous, but, she still places her hand on Equius' cold one. A blubber of pain comes from her lips, blood spurting out along with the sound as she chokes. Her eyes drift shut, too weak to stay open.

_If only I came earlier…_

She squeezes his hand softly and, for a split second, she thinks she can feel him squeeze back.

_As always..._


End file.
